The Bruins selected defenseman Matthew Benning in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2012 NHL draft on Saturday.

Benning, who played with the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League last season, scored four goals and 14 assists and recorded 87 penalty minutes in 44 games played. Benning, who turned 18 years old in May, is 6-feet, 218 pounds, and was ranked the No. 176 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.

He comes from good hockey roots, as his father, Brian Benning, was drafted 26th overall by the Blues in 1984 and played with five different teams in his NHL career. His uncle, Jim Benning, was drafted sixth overall by the Maple Leafs, and spent nine seasons with the Leafs and the Canucks.